DAVE ARNOLD

ASSOCIATE DEAN OF CULINARY TECHNOLOGY – DAVE ARNOLD

“My job is to think of new ingredients, equipment, and techniques for chefs. There are not many people with my job description in the world.” – Dave Arnold

Before becoming a culinary technology innovator, Dave Arnold attended Yale University, where he earned his B.A. in Philosophy as well as Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he earned his M.F.A. in Performance Sculpture. Arnold was a man of many hats, having worked as a paralegal, performance artist, and pizza deliveryman.

As he wrote food science and machinery articles for Food Arts magazine, he caught the attention of editor, Michael Batterberry. Batterberry mentored Arnold and introduced him to the vast culinary world. In 2004, Arnold continued to educate himself on the culture, history, science, commerce, and production of food and drink by beginning plans to eventually open the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD). Arnold’s hobby became a profession in 2005 when The French Culinary Institute approached him to join the Culinary Technology Department.

While at FCI, Arnold taught food technology courses and helped young student chefs achieve their goals, using techniques and ingredients. In addition to experimenting with culinary and mixology tools, Arnold seeks for greater creativity. Dave Arnold created Cooking Issues, a radio show hosted via Heritage Radio Network, and broadcasted in the back of Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn every Tuesday afternoon. Listeners tune in to ask Dave questions about food science and technology, experimenting with ingredients, exceptional techniques, and kitchen myths. He can solve any cooking dilemma thrown his way.

“What you get by learning new techniques isn’t just using a fancy piece of equipment. What you get is a mindset of how to cook, how to think about food, how to be precise, how to observe, how to be focused. – Dave Arnold

Arnold joined forces David Chang and his Momofuku Group in 2012 to champion his innovation and technical insight to the craft cocktail with the opening of Booker and Dax in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Located in the back of Momofuku Ssäm Bar on 2nd Avenue, the intimate bar was devoted to cutting-edge cocktail techniques. Booker & Dax, named after Arnold’s two sons, was originally intended as an endeavor between Chang and Arnold to create contemporary cooking equipment supplier for professional and recreational chefs alike.

In 2013, Arnold opened the Museum of Food and Drink in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn via a KickStarter campaign, with over $100,000 in funds raised for MOFAD’s first exhibition. MOFAD is a global center that hosts cooking classes, tastings, seminars, and science demonstrations that are available to the public. The museum is on the verge of becoming the largest to incorporate edible exhibits, and additionally features galleries, workshop spaces, and a café. The goal of MOFAD is to reach the public and inspire people with cuisine and the culinary arts.

Signing a double-book deal with world renowned cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli via W.W Norton & Company Publishing, Arnold released Liquid Intelligence: The Art & Science of the Perfect Cocktail in November 2014. The beginning of his book starts with simple experiments, such as how to freeze crystal-clear ice cubes, but advances to techniques such as how to nitro-muddle basil to avoid browning. Arnold shares his tips and secrets to shaking the perfect cocktail. Liquid Intelligence features more than 120 recipes, almost 450 color pictures, and practical tips for preparing drinks by the pitcher.

After years of praise among NYC cocktail sippers, being called one of the ‘Best Bars for Cocktails in NYC’ by GrubStreet, it was announced that the brick & mortar would close in October 2016 along with the Ssäm Bar as David Chang works on rebranding the Momofuku location. While there is currently a Booker & Dax void in the hearts of New Yorkers, Dave Arnold plans to eventually reopen a stand-alone location for the beloved bar.

“A little dose of science will do you good. Think like a scientist and you will make better drinks. Any reasonable shaking technique that lasts at least 10 seconds, using almost any kind of ice, can make a delicious and consistent shaken cocktail.” – Arnold gushed during his 90-minute seminar on The Science of Shaking with The Wall Street Journal.

Right around the 2016 closing of Booker & Dax, Dave Arnold returned to the ICC as Associate Dean of Culinary Technology to teach 2 new mixology focused courses, “Liquid Intelligence” and “Cooking Issues.” Arnold continues to speak at cocktail and culinary technology conferences across the country and regularly teaches at Harvard’s Science and Cooking Lecture Series.

“One of my favorite things to do is teach people how to apply new techniques, technologies, and ingredients in a practical way. I’m excited to return to the ICC and pick up where I left off teaching culinary technology.” – Dave Arnold

DID YOU KNOW?

Dave Arnold is the founder of The Museum of Food and Drink

Arnold won the 2015 James Beard Award for Best Beverage Book for Liquid Intelligence

2015 recipient of the IACP Jane Grigson Award for Liquid Intelligence

Host of the weekly podcast Cooking Issueson Heritage Radio Network

Arnold has been featured in various publications including The Atlantic, Time, Food & Wine, Esquire, The Economist, and Popular Science

Arnold has appeared as a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Martha Stewart Living, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, CNN’s Next List, and the Today Show.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Whip the egg yolks and sugar in an electric mixer on high speed until thick. Reduce to low speed and add the water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Again, whip on high speed until thick. Reduce to low speed and add the dry ingredients.

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold them into the batter. Spread the batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, measuring approximately 11 by 16 inches with 1 inch sides.

Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cake from the pan by running a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Invert the pan on the work surface and carefully peel off the parchment paper.

Zabaglione Cream

8 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup Marsala

Pinch salt

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, and salt in a stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Whisk continually until thick like mayonnaise, about 3 minutes. Place the bowl over an ice bath and cool to room temperature. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold the cream into the Marsala mixture. Refrigerate.

To assemble the trifle:

1 1/2 cups strong coffee, room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cut the cake into quarters. Cut each quarter in half horizontally.

Spread about 1 cup of zabaglione cream in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart bowl. Cut pieces of cake to fit in a single layer over the cream. Using a pastry brush, brush the cake with about 1/3 cup of the coffee. Repeat layering cream and coffee soaked cake until the cake and zabaglione is used up, finishing with the zabaglione on top. Finely chop the chocolate or grind it in a food processor. Refrigerate the trifle for two hours or overnight before serving.

The cake can be made up to two days before you assemble the trifle. Store it wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. The zabaglione can be made a day in advance. The zabaglione can be made a day before you serve it.